1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to packaging for medical devices, and more particularly, to a packaged medical device including a container configured to receive a medical device having a passageway defined therein and a port in fluid communication with the passageway for permitting the sterile passage of an agent between the outside of the container and the passageway defined within the medical device.
2. Background of Related Art
The concept of medical devices containing a passageway defined therein is known and includes such medical devices as stents, monofilament sutures, multifilament sutures, surgical meshes, adhesion barriers, vascular grafts, cannulas, trocars, catheters, staples, screws, pins, rods, and the like.
In particular, several U.S. patents disclose wound closure devices, e.g., sutures, which contain at least one passageway defined therein. Some non-limiting examples include U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,918,455; 4,159,720; 5,984,933; and 6,264,600. The passageway defined within the medical device is used for a variety of reasons including facilitating the attachment of a surgical needle and the addition of an agent to be delivered to the implant site or enhance the suture's handling abilities, e.g., knot-tying or lubricity.
Presently, the addition of an agent into the passageway defined within the medical device is completed either prior to being sealed within a sterile package during manufacturing of the medical device, or after being removed from the sterile package during the implantation procedure. Each option has limitations. The addition of an agent prior to packaging limits the choice of agent which may be added to the passageway defined within the medical device, but maintains the sterility of the device. The addition of an agent after removing the device from the sterile package during the implantation procedure allows for the addition of many more agents, but increases the likelihood of contamination of the medical device. It would be advantageous to have a package for receiving a medical device having a passageway defined therein which maintained sterility while allowing for the addition of any agent into the passageway of a medical device.
Therefore, the present disclosure describes a package for receiving a medical device having at least one passageway defined therein, aimed at simplifying the addition of any agent to the inside of the passageway of the medical device, as well as maintaining the sterile conditions in which the addition of the agent is conducted.